Unwanted Desertion
by Katerineious
Summary: Misao has decided to leave the Aoiya for a while after Aoshi has ignored her for the past few days. Then he wakes up in the middle of the night and discovers she is missing. Rated for slight language. Oneshot.


Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever, own Rurouni Kenshin.

Kenshin/Kaoru is by far my favorite pairing for Rurouni Kenshin, but I do love Aoshi and Misao's characters. This is one of two oneshots that I wrote a long time ago for them and recently found burried in the depths of my external hard drive.

Aoshi and Misao are both a little OOC, Aoshi more so than Misao. That's just the way it played out. He's still sexy so please don't be too upset.

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Unwanted Desertion

_Everyone,  
__I know that you're reading this means that I'm long gone from Kyoto. I'm writing this several days before you should return from your trip. I hope you had a good time.  
__I just need to be on my own for awhile, figure some things out. I'll be back soon and I'll write often so please don't worry or come searching for me. I love you all.  
__Misao_

"How dare she," a cool voice laced with rage said into the night. "How _dare_ she leave and not tell me!" The tone was calm, level, yet so dangerous. His hands crumbled and tore the paper in his rage. Upon realizing what had happened he threw the offending object across the room. It hit the wall with a faint thud but it wasn't loud enough. The ninja looked to his left where a bowl held the last remnants of some flowers. He picked the bowl up and threw it at the same spot where he threw the note. It shattered and fell to the floor in many pieces but it still wasn't enough.

Aoshi Shinomori was enraged, furious that his woman would have dared leave without so much as a goodbye. His eyes rested on the small wardrobe that had held her clothing and punched his fist through the wood. Then he lifted the piece of furniture and threw it out the window. That done he looked around the room for something more to take his frustration out on but her small room was now empty.

"DAMN HER!" he said as kicked the shoji to her room aside with enough force to break it in half. He stomped down the hallway to his own room where he just burst through the shoji not bothering to open it and changed form his yukata to his ninja robes, destroying the remainder room in the process. He roughly pulled his trench coat around him and grabbed his dual kadochi before exiting.

"She can't have gone far . . ."

Misao felt something hard beneath her fingernail as she walked through the dark streets of Kyoto. She reached into her robes to extract a kunai to remove the aggravation when she realized she was unarmed. "Shoot! I'm just so used to having them on me that I forgot them in my hurry to get away." She turned on her heel and headed in the direction she came in. "Luckily I found out before I was across the country. I'll just get them and be on my way."

A block away from the Aoiya Misao could hear signs of a struggle. She looked around her warily, watching for danger until she realized that the noise was coming from the building she was head towards. She gasped before breaking into a run. "Aoshi-sama is still inside!"

Misao burst into the restaurant only to come face to face with the man she had been rushing to protect. She looked up into those fierce blue eyes that were showing more emotion than she had ever seen. Fury, betrayal, despair, frustration, and many more besides. She was out of breath as she tried to speak, "A-Aoshi-sama, you-you're okay." She dropped her bags so she could place a hand on her chest and took in deep breaths to steady herself.

"Okay? OKAY? WHY WOULDN'T I BE OKAY?"

Misao looked up, frightened beyond words after hearing Aoshi shout for the first time in her life. She took stepped away from him until her back was pressed against the wall. He followed her.

"WHY WOULDN'T I BE OKAY AFTER WAKING UP AND DISCOVERING THAT NOT ONLY WERE YOU NOT HERE BUT YOU WERE RUNNING AWAY? TELL ME WHY THAT SHOULDN'T UPSET ME, MISAO! I AM YOUR OKASHIRA, YOU DO NOTHING WITHOUT MY PERMISSION! WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF?"

Misao was looking into his eyes that were burning from his anger. She was shaking as she finally understood what it meant to face the wrath of Aoshi Shinomori, Okashira of the Onibanwanshu. She moved her mouth to answer him but no words came out.

"MISAO, I ASKED YOU A QUESTION!"

Her mouth was moving faster but still no words would come out. Her breathing became labored and she was shaking so violently that her legs could no longer support her. Tears rushed from her eyes and sobs escaped her mouth as she collapsed to the ground, the impact jerking her out of her stupor.

Aoshi's face softened as his mind registered her tears. He dropped to his knees before her and reached out his right hand tentatively, not wanting to scare her again. "Misao . . ."

She clutched his hand with her two smaller ones and he pulled her body to his, crushing her with his embrace. Her crying doubled and her tears soaked the fabric on his chest. "A-Ao-s-s-shi-s-sam-ma!"

"I'm so sorry, Misao. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have acted that way. You shouldn't have had to see that." His voice was soft as he tried to comfort her. "Shh, I won't do that again. I promise."

No reaction. She was still crying as loudly as before. Her arms were wound tightly around his neck and she was sitting in his lap, her face still buried in his chest.

"Shh, Misao. Please stop crying. You don't need to be afraid." Her tears kept flowing and he could hear how her throat was becoming sore. "Forgive me, Misao, but I can't think of any other way to get your attention." The next instant his mouth was upon hers, pleading with her to calm down.

Misao's knew that her Aoshi-sama was kissing her and yet she couldn't stop herself from crying against his lips. She noticed that his lips became more insistent against hers and as she gasped again he took the chance to slip his tongue inside her mouth in a further attempt to calm her.

She moved her hands up his neck to fist in his hair and pulled her mouth closer to his in the process. Once she had felt his tongue against her own her sobs had stopped immediately but the tears still fell silently. She felt his hands on her waist tighten and she moaned into his mouth.

Aoshi knew then that she wouldn't start weeping again and swept is tongue across her mouth one last time before withdrawing. He brushed his lips against hers a few times gently and pulled back to look into her blue-green eyes. He placed his hands on her cheeks and used his thumbs to wipe away the slowing tears.

Misao used one hand to cup his cheek, but she jerked back when she felt something sliding down her hand. She brushed his bangs aside to see the trail left on his face where a single tear had escape. "Aoshi-sama?

Aoshi opened his sorrow filled eyes and met hers. His hands moved to her shoulders, holding her tightly. "Misao, don't leave me. Please stay with me. I love you."

"But . . . but you've ignored me for the past three days. Normally you at least acknowledge my efforts but lately nothing. You've known how I feel about you for years and you expect me to just stay here and suffer when I know you don't return my feelings? How can you tell me you love me when I know that you don't?"

"But I do. I do. I've loved you for such a long time; I just didn't know how to accept my feelings or yours. But I do now."

"You know because I left you? Is that all it took?"

He shook his head before placing a kiss on her forehead. "No, no, Misao. I realized it a long time ago. I just had to find the right time to tell you. I . . . the reason I've been so distant is because I've been so nervous about proposing. I wanted to do it while Okina and the others were gone so it would just be us two. I'm sorry that I drove you away."

Misao hugged him tightly and put her chin over his shoulder. His arms wrapped around her so tightly. "Misao!"

She opened her eyes and was finally able to see the room around her without his larger frame blocking her view. Her eyes were wide as she noticed that very little in the room had survived. Almost every table in the restaurant had been overturned and broken in some way. Most of the shoji were destroyed beyond repair. She looked to the door leading into the room and was able to see a trail broken china leading away from it. "Um, Aoshi-sama?"

"Hmm?"

"What happened?"

He pulled back from her with a confused look on his face. She pointed behind him and he looked over his shoulder before turning back to her with a sheepish grin on his face. "I . . . I'm afraid I lost my temper. I was just so distraught after discovering that you had left me that I couldn't contain it anymore."

"You were really that upset?"

"I was. I love you."

"I love you, too, Aoshi-sama. But you already knew that."

"I did." He placed a soft kiss on her lips and pulled back to look at her again, one had running through her bangs. "Aoshi."

"Huh?"

"Aoshi. Just Aoshi."

The smile dominated Misao's face as she hugged him fiercely. "Okay!"

"Let's go tomorrow."

"Go where?"

"To the shrine. I'm not willing to risk you running off again."

She placed a kiss on his cheek before snuggling into his chest. "I'm not going anywhere."

"I know that now, but still. We're going tomorrow."

"But what about Jiya?" Aoshi chuckled. "What's so funny?"

"Don't you know?"

"Would I ask if I knew?"

"I guess not," Aoshi said before moving her head so he could make eye contact. "Misao, we've been betrothed since the day you were born."

"WHAT? WHY DIDN'T ANYBODY TELL ME?" She jumped up in outrage.

"No need to shout, I'm right here," he said as he pulled her body back down to his. "It wasn't meant to be a secret, but after your parents died nothing went as we had planned and I assume that Okina just never got around to telling you."

"So that's why they didn't pressure me to find another man."

"Yes, because they knew that I knew and would come around eventually."

"It took you long enough!"

"I know and I'm sorry for the delay. Am I forgiven?"

"Yes."

"Tomorrow? Please?"

"How can I say no when this is what I've wanted for so long?"

"You can't." He stood up and then helped her to her feet. "Let's go to bed."

"Um, Aoshi. I'm gonna take a wild guess and assume that upstairs is just as bad as it is down here?" He nodded. "So where to you suggest we sleep?"

"Um, the only two bedrooms I destroyed were yours and mine. The hallway is another story. As is the kitchen. You can see the dining hall for yourself."

"What about the study?"

"No, I didn't make it in there."

"Alright, I'll go upstairs and get our futons and yukatas."

"No, I'll go. There's a lot of broken glass." He turned to leave the room and paused at the doorway. "I'll assume you have a yukata in your bag?"

"Yes," her voice was suspicious. "Why?"

"No reason."

She was in front of him before he could take a step. "Aoshi, what did you do?" He hands were on her hips as she stared up at him, looking and sounding very matronly.

"I may have accidentally thrown your wardrobe out the window?"

She gaped at him. "Just how bad is it up there?"

"I'll let you judge for yourself in the morning. I'll meet you in the study."

"Okay." She stood to the side and allowed him to leave and proceed upstairs. "I need a drink," she said as she walked into what used to be the kitchen.

A few minutes later Misao was waiting in the study, already changed into her yukata, as Aoshi opened the shoji. She noticed he had changed as well and was carrying both their futons in addition to his swords. She crossed the room and took hers out of his arms and proceeded to unroll it.

"You know, I tried to make some tea for us, but for some strange reason I couldn't find one single teacup."

"I'm sorry. I'll clean all that up tomorrow when I can see to do it." He placed his futon next to hers as she slid underneath her blanket.

"Before or after we go to the shrine."

"Before. I'll be much to busy afterwards." He slid under his own blanket.

"So you say."

"You would deny me?" She noticed how his face fell.

"Oh, Aoshi, it was just a joke. Lighten up. We've all been telling you that for years."

"Yeah."

"I love you."

"I know."

"I'll help you tomorrow morning, okay?"

"You don't have to."

"If I hadn't left it wouldn't have happened. So technically it's my fault."

"You're right, it is."

"Hmph!" Misao rolled over so he couldn't see her face.

She felt the edge of her blanket lift up and a strong arm wrap around her waist before pulling her into the body it was attached to. Aoshi spooned his body against hers before whispering in her ear, "Who can't take a joke now?"

She rolled back over and poked him hard in the chest. "You obviously."

He opened his mouth to protest but found her lips crushed against his instead. He rolled onto his back and pulled her on top of him as he deepened the kiss. He caressed her lips with his tongue until she allowed him entrance. She moaned into his mouth and brushed her hand along the exposed skin of his chest as one of his hands clenched in her hair.

Aoshi groaned as her fingertips danced across his skin and pulled his mouth away from hers. She was breathless, but even so she managed a pout that almost won him over.

"No more, Misao."

"But you—"

"Tomorrow. After tomorrow we'll have forever. I won't steal your honor. We can wait a few more hours."

"But we're getting married anyway so what does it matter?"

"It just matters to me. And I know it matters to you as well even if you won't admit it."

"Alright. Fine."

He laughed as she nestled into his chest, yawning widely. "Let's get some sleep. We'll get up early and clean up before we go to the shrine."

"Okay. I love you."

"And I love you."

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Okay, so how bad was it? Again, I wasn't motivated to go back and do any work on it. Please review and tell me what you thought, flame if you must. 


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